Finished Contract; ongoing consultancy rate

[AnthonyQuinn]

Ask for 500.

Hi all,

- I’ve been on £300 a day on this contract, but my new role is £350 (which is more like the market rate on a 6 month contract for my skillset).
- I need to set a day rate but aren’t sure what I should look to charge (bearing in mind the above and that it’s got to be attractive for me).
- The agent will no longer be involved, so their cut (not sure what it was) will disappear.

TIA

You will normally deliver more per day when you are working one day a week. Also you will have to juggle clients. In your client's showes I should be happy to pay 500. You can explain that you need the premium for

1. Making up on lost 350
2. Additional commute required, if any.
3. Planning and consent required with new client.
4. You WILL be delivering extra per day.

[rootsnall]

I would pitch at 400, not excessive and still a premium over normal rate. Great opportunity to keep in with old client for future work and sure the current clientco won't be crying over the odd day off (not every week though). I would not be telling them I was working elsewhere, I wouldn't volunteer any details but if pressed I would talk about some vague and occasional family commitment. They save a days pay and is anyone ever maxed out 5 days every week ?

WHS. Keeping in the with the old lot being the key feature.

But saying that, I've set up these sort of deals before and as is nearly always the case, you are more expendable than you think and they quickly move on and don't need you. The only time people aren't expendable is when they have not done a particularly good job in the first place and left a mess behind.

[lukemg]

I would pitch at 400, not excessive and still a premium over normal rate. Great opportunity to keep in with old client for future work and sure the current clientco won't be crying over the odd day off (not every week though). I would not be telling them I was working elsewhere, I wouldn't volunteer any details but if pressed I would talk about some vague and occasional family commitment. They save a days pay and is anyone ever maxed out 5 days every week ?

[Wanderer]

WHS - it needs to be more than the £350 that you are currently on, enough so that you can be arsed to do the work.

Work out the opportunity cost - how much is it worth to potentially piss off your new client by sloping off to the old job?

Agreed. If you are on a 350/day contract and taking care of business quite nicely then why would you want to be disappearing for the odd day here and there and upsetting your regular client. If you can work for your regular client and get paid 350, then you're not going to want to be at the beck and call of another client for an extra 50 quid a day (minus travelling expenses etc) are you?

On one hand, I'd be tempted to ask for time and a half ~ 500/day if it's just the odd day here and there otherwise it's not worth messing about with.

On the other, it's a good to stay in touch and keep up the goodwill with with your previous clients because although they don't have any work/budget for you now that can change rapidly in my experience.

It depends on how well your business is going.

[MarillionFan]

WHS - it needs to be more than the £350 that you are currently on, enough so that you can be arsed to do the work.

Work out the opportunity cost - how much is it worth to potentially piss off your new client by sloping off to the old job?

WFS

It has to be a premium for the reason FAq says, otherwise there is no point

[TheFaQQer]

You need a premium on that. I would recommend 400-450 per day.

WHS - it needs to be more than the £350 that you are currently on, enough so that you can be arsed to do the work.

Work out the opportunity cost - how much is it worth to potentially piss off your new client by sloping off to the old job?

[Muttley08]

I've not had to do this as a contractor, but when I was a permy consultant I saw that my short-term consultancy rate to the customer was quoted at roughly 25% more than the longer term rate. I would be inclined to do the same if I found myself in your situation.

As others have said, it may depend on the market for your skills and whether you have something the client can't get elsewhere, but in general I think the customer will appreciate having to pay a little more for impromptu consultancy. It needs to reflect the added inconvenience (dont say this to client) and flexibility you're providing, whilst not being prohibitively expensive.

I'd agree with 25% - good to keep your contacts happy for future work, just be careful new client doesn't get wind of it...they might be ok...but might not...

[MarillionFan]

Hi all,

I'm due to finish a 6 month contract at the end of this week as although the client would like to keep me they can't afford to. However, they would like the potential to call me back for the odd day(s) consultancy here and there.

- I’ve been on £300 a day on this contract, but my new role is £350 (which is more like the market rate on a 6 month contract for my skillset).
- I need to set a day rate but aren’t sure what I should look to charge (bearing in mind the above and that it’s got to be attractive for me).
- The agent will no longer be involved, so their cut (not sure what it was) will disappear.

Please could I have your opinions on what you would charge in similar circumstances based on the above? I don’t want to appear greedy, nor lose out on what I should reasonably expect for my services.

TIA

You need a premium on that. I would recommend 400-450 per day.

[CheeseSlice]

I've not had to do this as a contractor, but when I was a permy consultant I saw that my short-term consultancy rate to the customer was quoted at roughly 25% more than the longer term rate. I would be inclined to do the same if I found myself in your situation.

As others have said, it may depend on the market for your skills and whether you have something the client can't get elsewhere, but in general I think the customer will appreciate having to pay a little more for impromptu consultancy. It needs to reflect the added inconvenience (dont say this to client) and flexibility you're providing, whilst not being prohibitively expensive.

[Ian Freely]

Does your new client have any concerns you might go AWOL randomly to work for your other client?
If the consultancy would clash with your new contract it has to pay more or what's the point?

Taking a days 'Leave' to do consultancy shouldn't be a problem as far as the new client is concerned.

I expect it should pay more than the £350 I'm on with my new client, what I'm not sure of is how much more would be reasonable for me to charge? Bearing in mind that this would be a day here and there as far as the original client is concerned, and effectively saves them from employing me fulltime for 3-6 months at £350 a day (+whatever agency charges) then surely as length of contract goes down, rate goes up(?).

Thanks all for your help.

[Fred Bloggs]

Does your new client have any concerns you might go AWOL randomly to work for your other client?
If the consultancy would clash with your new contract it has to pay more or what's the point?

Given all that, working at more than one client in a week has to be good news from a IR35 perspective I would have thought. Even though each contract is assessed on it's own merits, it has to be good news.

[d000hg]

Does your new client have any concerns you might go AWOL randomly to work for your other client?
If the consultancy would clash with your new contract it has to pay more or what's the point?

[kingcook]

Hi all,

I'm due to finish a 6 month contract at the end of this week as although the client would like to keep me they can't afford to. However, they would like the potential to call me back for the odd day(s) consultancy here and there.

- I’ve been on £300 a day on this contract, but my new role is £350 (which is more like the market rate on a 6 month contract for my skillset).
- I need to set a day rate but aren’t sure what I should look to charge (bearing in mind the above and that it’s got to be attractive for me).
- The agent will no longer be involved, so their cut (not sure what it was) will disappear.

Please could I have your opinions on what you would charge in similar circumstances based on the above? I don’t want to appear greedy, nor lose out on what I should reasonably expect for my services.

TIA

It's business - it all depends on the market.

If you can only find 1 contract and the client is paying £250/day, you have a choice - take the £250/day or sit on the bench.

On the other hand, if there are plenty of contracts about, you have more of a choice and can afford to not give the £250/day contracts a 2nd glance, favouring the £350/day ones.

[Ian Freely]

Hi all,

I'm due to finish a 6 month contract at the end of this week as although the client would like to keep me they can't afford to. However, they would like the potential to call me back for the odd day(s) consultancy here and there.

- I’ve been on £300 a day on this contract, but my new role is £350 (which is more like the market rate on a 6 month contract for my skillset).
- I need to set a day rate but aren’t sure what I should look to charge (bearing in mind the above and that it’s got to be attractive for me).
- The agent will no longer be involved, so their cut (not sure what it was) will disappear.

Please could I have your opinions on what you would charge in similar circumstances based on the above? I don’t want to appear greedy, nor lose out on what I should reasonably expect for my services.

TIA